MxMIndia

Category: NEWS

  • Indian footwear biggie 'Relaxo' signs Salman Khan as brand ambassador for its slipper brand 'Hawaii' to showcase the strength and toughness of the product

    Relaxo signs Salman Khan as brand ambassador for Hawaii

    By A Correspondent

     

    Relaxo, the second largest producer of footwear in India, has signed Salman Khan as the brand ambassador to endorse one of their most popular brands – Hawaii slippers.  Hawaii has introduced a new Hi-Fashion range of slippers for men and women, and Salman Khan will feature in all the brand communication related to Hawaii across the media.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Gaurav Dua, Executive Director, Relaxo Footwears Ltd. said: ” Hawai i has always been on the forefront to provide the comfort and ease in daily wear for the masses. Through this new commercial, we bring in light the strength and toughness aspects of Hawaii slippers. And what better way to promote this strong USP than having Salman Khan endorse our product. We are extremely happy to associate with him and we hope this tie strengthens our bond with our customers.”

     

    Highlighting the same, Salman Khan said: “Relaxo is one of the most trusted brands in footwear, and I’m glad to be doing this commercial as it is focused on the concept of “mazbooti” (strength), and completely suits my persona.”

     

    Mr Khan will soon be seen endorsing Hawaii slippers in a 45 second TVC created by ARMS Communications Pvt. Ltd, positioning Hawaii as a symbol of style, comfort and strength. The film revolves around the star Salman Khan, who with confidence saves different girls from life-threatening situations, an act which seems impossible in real life. Since all this seems unrealistic, Salman appears on screen and says, “Yeh thodaa zyada hogaya. Lekin RELAXO Hawaii hai mazboot. Main pehenta hoon.” This statement sums up the exaggeration yet leaves the viewers with the message that  creates an aspiration in the minds of the consumer to acquire what their favorite star endorses.

     

  • Mahuaa channel directors P K Tewari and Anand Tewari have been arrested for forgery to secure loans of nearly Rs 100 crore, the CBI has said

    Mahuaa channel directors held for forgery

    By A Correspondent

     

    Two directors of popular Bhojpuri TV network Mahuaa were arrested for forgery to secure loans of nearly Rs.100 crore, a CBI official said Monday. A Delhi court sent them to judicial custody till August 4.

     

    Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge Swarana Kanta Sharma sent Mahuaa channel directors P.K. Tewari and Anand Tewari to jail after they were presented before her on the expiry of the period of their custodial interrogation.

     

    The duo were arrested by the probe agency on July 18 for their alleged involvement in presenting fake invoices and chartered accountant certificates to secure Rs 34 crore loan each from three banks. The two allegedly cheated three banks – Bank of Baroda, Punjab National Bank and Union Bank of India. The banks lodged a complaint against the accused in January.

     

    According to the CBI, the directors procured loans from the three banks for the expansion of their channel.

     

    Source: Indo-Asian News Service

     

  • One of the seniormost programming executives in the business, Mr Bahl has had short stints at Mahuaa, Turner, Network 18 after moving on from Star India in April 2011

    Vivek Bahl hops to Sony as Chief Creative Director

    By A Correspondent

     

    In 18 months, this is his fifth place of work… surely, the man’s on the move. Yes, Vivek Bahl is set to join Sony Entertainment Television (SET) as Chief Creative Director after short stints at Mahuaa, Turner and Network 18.

     

    One of the seniormost programming executives in the business, Mr Bahl, joined Zee TV a few months before it was launched way back in 1992. His last port of call has been the Viacom18 Network which he had joined in May this year as network advisor (content).

     

    In the new role, Mr Bahl will be responsible for the overall programming of the flagship channel. Speaking on his appointment, he said, via a communique: “I’m delighted to join SET and hope to provide valuable programming inputs in all genres of shows. This is an exciting and challenging role and I’m honoured that trust has been reposed in my abilities.”

     

    Mr Bahl will report to Sneha Rajani, Senior Executive Vice President & Business Head – Channel SET.  While announcing the appointment, NP Singh, COO, MSM, said: “Vivek’s entertainment experience and a cross-functional strategic perspective will enhance the growth of SET. On behalf of Sony Entertainment Network, we look forward to a long and fruitful working association with him.”

     

    Prior to joining Viacom18, Mr Bahl was with Turner International where he was the Chief Content Officer. And before that he was with the Mahuaa Network where he moved from Star India.

     

  • The first edition of this T20 league will be played in August 2012. The multi-year deal includes a minimum of 24 T20 matches per season.

    ESPN Star bags SL Premier League

    By A Correspondent

     

    ESPN Star Sports announced that it has reached a multi-year broadcast rights agreement for exclusive coverage of the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) in India. The first edition of this T20 league will be played in August 2012.

     

    The multi-year deal includes a minimum of 24 T20 matches per season. The first edition of the SLPL will see seven provisional teams compete for the trophy as well as a qualifier berth to the Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) to be held later this year. The SLPL will feature 42 international players participating from seven countries. Star Cricket, Star Sports and ESPN will broadcast all the matches live and exclusive in India Starting August 11.

     

    ESPN Star Sports’ broadcast rights agreement also includes live coverage of the SLPL in the territories of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Nepal, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand

     

    These rights, in addition to the existing T20 leagues from Australia, England and Bangladesh and along with CLT20 and ICC WT20 make ESS the undisputed leaders in this coveted cricket format.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Peter Hutton, Managing Director, ESPN Star Sports, said: “We are delighted to be able to telecast the live matches of the SLPL in India and throughout the region. It is an excellent addition to Star Cricket’s remarkable catalogue of content in the next year, headlined byIndia’s home series against Pakistan, England and New Zealand, the ICC World T20, the Champions League T20 and the ICC Champions trophy. Sri Lanka cricket becomes the 6th cricket body with whom we are working on the shortest form of the game.”

     

    The SLPL will see all leading international and domestic cricketers from Sri Lanka joining hands with talented U-21 players. The tournament has also attracted players from Australia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand, Zimbabwe and West Indies.

     

  • Mobiwise is a specialist mobile planning unit focused on SEO/SEM. The unit will be located at the Gurgaon headquarters of Mogae

    Mogae announces specialist unit Mobiwise for mobile SEO/SEM

    By A Correspondent

     

    After the launch of Mobocracy, the creative boutique for mobile, Mogae Media announced that it is launching Mobiwise, a specialist mobile planning unit focused on SEO/SEM. The unit will be located at the Gurgaon headquarters of Mogae.

     

    “In the recent years, a massive surge in the use of smartphones, and now tablets have made it essential to adapt web pages to meet the needs of their users. In particular, the web pages should be optimized for search on these platforms, so you reach your audience that is typically mobile, business oriented and mostly affluent,” said Tanya Goyal, Executive Director of the Mogae Group.

     

    Mobiwise brings in-depth understanding of how the user behaviour differs on these handheld devices from PC browsing and provides effective search engine optimization [SEO] for the mobile site. Experienced specialists at Mobiwise will help clients ensure their SEO works across all devices.

     

    The mobile SEO services will include regular mobile site audits, onsite and offsite SEO, accessibility and usability consulting, multilingual mobile site optimization, a balanced approach to SEO and pay per click [PPC].

     

    To balance the use of organic SEO and PPC advertising on mobile devices, an in-depth understanding of how the various search results and adverts are displayed across a range of the most popular platforms is required. It is also vital to keep up-to-date with the latest technologies and gadgets and their impact on user behaviour as well as search engine policies.

     

    Mobiwise has been setup especially to help clients through this maze and make sure their business is being found by users of the latest phones, tablets and other devices. Mobiwise helps get the best from this relatively new advertising medium, allowing the client to reach out to an affluent, mobile and technologically savvy audience.

     

    “At Mogae Media we are trying to provide single window solutions for the mobile medium. We believe the market is close to an explosive inflection point. Mogae, with Mobocracy and Mobiwise, will be in the forefront of mobile communication,” emphasized Ms Goyal.

     

  • The India operations will be headed by Uday Vijayan and the creative team will be headed by Alistair Petrie

    London’s Imagination creative shop enters India

    By Preethi Chamikutty

     

    Imagination, a London based creative agency became the latest entrant in the Indian advertising landscape. With offices in Mumbai and Bengaluru, Imagination is currently in the process of building its team in India. The India operations will be headed by Uday Vijayan, who has worked in the past with agencies like JWT, Bozell and GPJ.

     

    Imagination’s creative team will be headed by Alistair Petrie, regional creative director who is based out of the agency’s Hong Kong office. Imagination started off as an experiential agency but now handles different creative needs that a client may have. At the Auto Expo 2012 held in New Delhi earlier this year, Imagination helped auto brands like Land Rover, Ford and Tata Motors showcase themselves in a distinctive manner.

     

    “This maybe our official entry into India, but we have been working with Indian clients over the last 15-20 years,” explained Mark Barrett, CEO, Asia Pacific, Imagination.

     

    Oberoi hotels, 360 restaurants, Hyatt New Delhi and Ritz Carlton Bengaluru are among the brands that Imagination has worked with. Imagination has also redesigned the Aston Martin showrooms for the car brand in India.

     

    Imagination has 16 offices spread across Qatar, Moscow, Seattle, Sao Paulo and has 9 offices in the APAC region alone. China was its last entry before India, and Barrett hopes to replicate the success of Chinese market in India as well.

     

    “Our past experience with Indian brands is helping us grow. Everybody thinks an international agency will be expensive, but we think globally and work locally,” said Mr Barrett. He also said Imagination will draw upon its resources across the globe to do the best work for its clients, irrespective of where the client is physically located.

     

    Imagination, said Mr Barrett, works with over 311 brands globally including Disney, Siemens, Aston Martin and The Body Shop among others. Talking about the Indian opportunity, he said there are a lot of luxury brands in India which he says is an area of opportunity for them.

     

    Source: The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • Dabur had kept its advertising cost in control over the past several months in order to maintain its profitability

    … but rejoice! Dabur increases its adspends

    By Jwalit Vyas

     

    Dabur India delivered a good performance in June 2012 quarter. The major surprise of the June quarter numbers was the year-on-year 51 per cent jump in its advertising and publicity expenses.

     

    Dabur had kept its advertising cost in control over the past several months in order to maintain its profitability. However, the strategy seems to have changed as the company again has started pumping money in marketing its products.

     

    Its advertisement to sales ratio increased by 310 bps year-on-year to 15.7 per cent in March 2012 quarter. Its sales grew by 20 per cent y-o-y to Rs1,462 crore, which its net profit grew by 17 per cent to Rs 150 crore. Operating margins remained flat at 16 per cent which is positive for the company considering the additional advertisement expense.

     

    The second most diversified Indian FMCG company showed a healthy growth across segments. Its food business which contributes to around 15 per cent of the company’s net sales grew by 31 per cent, while its consumer care business which is 80 per cent of its total sales grew at 15 per cent. Its retail business (Kaya Skin Clinic) continues to be loss making but the size of this business is negligible when compared to its overall business.

     

    Dabur’s stock closed 0.1 per cent up at Rs 118 while the Sensex was down by 1.7 per cent. The company’s stock is trading at a price to earning multiple of 31.

     

    Source: The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • Launches Lokmat's coffee-table book Business Icons of Aurangabad, which honors 64 eminent Aurangabadkars

    Ratan Tata launches Lokmat tome on Aurangabad icons

    By A Correspondent

     

    It was a proud moment for the business community of Aurangabad when Ratan Tata, Chairman of the Tata Group, lauded their role in the growth and progress of Aurangabad – captured in the coffee-table book Business Icons of Aurangabad, which he unveiled.

     

    Congratulating the business icons of Aurangabad for their proud achievements and prosperity, Mr Tata urged them to “spread this prosperity to the whole country”.

     

    “There are many many people in Aurangabad and in the country who are not as fortunate or lucky as we are. It will thus be a mandate for all us to play a role in spreading the prosperity we enjoy, to others, because a prosperous India will be one whose future will be assured,” Mr Tata said.

     

    Happy with the progress that Aurangabad has made over the years, Mr Tata said: “I remember, as a school student, I used to come to Aurangabad to visit the Ajanta-Ellora caves. There was nothing other than Ajanta-Ellora then in Aurangabad, but today, it is a bustling industrial and tourism city!”

     

    “I wish that in the years to come, Aurangabad would see even better growth, and when Lokmat publishes a new book, it would take many volumes to include the personalities,” Mr Tata added.

     

    Videocon Chairman Venugopal N Dhoot too congratulated the business icons of Aurangabad, saying that it is because of them that Aurangabad has become so prosperous.

     

    Mr Tata unveiled the book – compiled and published by Lokmat Media – in the presence of Guest of Honour Venugopal N Dhoot, Chairman, Videocon, Mr Vijay Darda, MP Rajya Sabha and Chairman Lokmat Media, Mr Rajendra Darda, State Minister for Education, Mr Deven Darda, Director Lokmat Media, and Mr Rishi Darda, Joint MD Lokmat Media.

     

    Also present on the occasion were the business icons honoured in the book, along with several eminent public figures of Aurangabad and Marathwada region.

     

    Mr. Vijay Darda, Rajya Sabha MP and Chairman – Lokmat Media Pvt Ltd, said: “Business Icons of Aurangabad is our salute to the business leaders who have built modern Aurangabad brick by brick. I am grateful to Shri Ratan Tata and Shri Venugopal Dhoot for inspiring these business leaders with their presence here today. It is because of icons like these that this historic city has experienced such phenomenal growth.”

     

    The Business Icons series, introduced by Lokmat to serve as a guide for the future generations of the country, started with the release of Business Icons of Pune, at the hands of Pranab Mukherjee, on November 7, 2011 in Pune.

     

    Rishi Darda, Joint Managing Director – Lokmat Media, revealed that the selection of the business leaders profiled in Business Icons of Aurangabad was made by a distinguished panel of that included social entrepreneurs, presidents of industrial associations, and the senior editorial board of Lokmat.

     

    “Lokmat Media will continue the process of chronicling outstanding economic growth. Nagpur is next on the agenda,” Mr. Darda said

     

    Recognized over the last five decades as a major industrial destination, Aurangabad has been included in the ambitious Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor which is expected to attract major investments. Industrial houses that have created wealth in Aurangabad represent a wide gamut of industry and trade segments such as automobile, education, real estate, white goods, pharma, steel, textiles and agro-products and include such eminent names as Bajaj Auto, Wockhardt, Videocon, Garware, Siemens, Nirlep, SkodaAuto India, RL Steels and many others.

     

    The book, which profiles 64 industrialists who have made major contributions to the spectacular growth story of Aurangabad, is priced at Rs3,000 and will be an immense value-add to any student, researcher or institution of industrial growth in India.

     

  • While 2011 witnessed many innovations, 2012 is the year which will see client demanding efficiency in the medium, writes Nabendu Bhattacharya

    FDI in retail can bailout OOH industry: Nabendu Bhattacharyya

    By Nabendu Bhattacharya

     

    Key milestones for OOH Industry in 2011:

    • Due to service tax ruling the industry came together to discuss standard operating procedures for OOH industry in line with other industries.
    • Marketers demanded more efficiency in OOH planning, creative innovations and 2011 witnessed many innovations in various categories in OOH. We saw various formats introduced in line with the international OOH markets. Street furniture inDelhiand Mumbai put emphasis on format beautifications in terms of aesthetic structures of billboards.
    • We also saw a lot of entrepreneurs entering as OOH specialists; many of them emerged after breaking away from large agency specialists’ space.
    • I would call 2011 a year of growth. It may not have been a great year in terms of huge OOH advertising spends, but OOH stakeholders pursued other categories and managed to convince local clients in the city levels, and few categories even invested more namely, gems – jewellery, real estate, retail, media entertainment, automotive and FMCG.
    • Hence, in adverse conditions the industry grew because of a significant contribution from other advertising categories.

     

    Five trends to watch out for in 2012:

    • Industry codes of conduct will be effectively introduced in line with IBF and INS.
    • Clients will demand efficiency in the medium, hence OOH stakeholders need to get together to offer planning and research in OOH.
    • Small format mediums will be introduced in line to build government infrastructural projects by the authorities in line with other countries. The government will be more open to look at long-term tenders. Hence, international players may show interest in enteringIndia. The government will bring in greater control over the medium.
    • Technology and innovation will be demanded from agency specialists by marketers.
    • Industry will face a hard time due to the economic slowdown, hence new categories will emerge. If FDI gets through, retail will bail out the OOH industry in a large way.

     

    Nabendu Bhattacharyya is Founder and Managing Director, Milestone Brandcom.

     

  • Zarina Mehta has decided to move on from Disney-UTV after a 27-year-long stint.

    Zarina Mehta quits Disney to ‘SHARE’

    Zarina Mehta

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zarina Mehta, the Chief Creative Officer of UTV Group of Channels at Walt Disney India, who led the creation and launch of popular TV brands such as UTV Bindass, UTV Stars and UTV Action has decided to move on from Disney-UTV after a 27-year-long stint.

     

    She sent a mail to her company’s employees informing them about the decision. She wrote: “After 27 years, I have decided that I need to move on from my beloved UTV.  It has given me such joy and fulfillment to create a vibrant, passionate, cutting edge company that believes passionately in creativity at its core. I have loved especially all the wonderful people I have worked with and the TV shows and brands I have helped create.”

     

    She will be moving on as a full-time Managing Trustee of the foundation SHARE (Society to Heal, Aid, Restore and Educate). The foundation is ten years old. “Our aim is to transform the lives of one million people in rural Maharashtra over the next seven (or so) years,” read the mail about what plans she has for the foundation.

     

    The decision wasn’t an easy for her, but the reason behind her move is her love for challenges: “Well its 27 years of doing the same thing. And much as I have loved it passionately I have felt the need to think about different challenges, to apply my mind and energy and passion to other problems.”

     

     

  • It is a platform to connect with the Marketing Heads of India's Top Brands

    WATBlog announces CMO conference

    By A Correspondent

     

    With an aim to give marketing professionals key insights into digital media, WATBlog announced the Digital CMO Conference. The event will have top CMOs of the country come together to showcase case-studies that have witnessed ground breaking success in digital media. The conference will be held on August 31 in Mumbai.

     

    WATBlog’s Digital CMO conference will showcase insightful presentations by the biggest brands that have emerged as the thought leaders in the digital media space. The conference will cover all aspects of digital marketing, including the role of social media in Customer Service and how the digital platform can help build brand reputation. The delegates expected to attend the conference would be a mix of CEOs, entrepreneurs and marketing professionals.

     

    “Digital marketing in India has gained significant momentum over the past year. A lot of brands are now looking at social media as an integral part of their marketing mix. We have organized the Digital CMO Conference to help these brands understand the best practices and soak up valuable insights from those who have run successful campaigns in the digital space” said Rajiv Dingra, Founder and CEO, WATMedia.

     

    Key speakers at WATBlog Digital Marketing CMO conference will be: Krishnakumar P, Executive Director, Marketing, DELL; Virginia Sharma, Chief Marketing Officer, IBM; Kavita Joshi, Head of Digital Marketing, HDFC Bank; Arun Nair, Head – Digital Marketing, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts; Dharini Mishra, Global Head of Brand, Suzlon Group

     

     

  • In a bid to support the cause of breast cancer awareness, Ogaan Cancer Foundation has created a new campaign with filmmaker, Zoya Akthar

    Ogaan Cancer Foundation creates a breast cancer awareness campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    In a bid to support the cause of breast cancer awareness, Ogaan Cancer Foundation has created a new campaign with filmmaker, Zoya Akthar, who has directed, scripted and conceptualized a Public Service Announcement (PSA) titled “Because My World Is Not The Same”. The PSA has ‘men’ talking about the ‘women’ in their lives and what they mean to them. The PSA gives all a unique opportunity to journey into the rarely-seen softer and emotional sides of Bollywood’s prominent actors.

     

    The campaign stars Abhay Deol, Arjun Rampal, Farhan Akhtar, Ranbir Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor get candid pledging their support to the cause along with Zoya. In the PSA, the actors talk about the women in their lives and sensitizing the viewers’ about women-related ailments like breast cancer. The campaign aims at being timeless in its overall look, and feel yet creating awareness about Breast Cancer in an outspoken manner.

     

    According to statistics, it is believed that ‘fear’ is the number one obstacle that keeps women from taking precautionary measures; and the presence of male celebrities will remind and urge women to take care of their health. Additionally, to spread the message that early detection is the strongest weapon in the fight against breast cancer.

     

    Commenting on this latest campaign, Preeta Sukhtankar, Director, Elle Breast Cancer Campaign said: “Breast Cancer is a disease that affects many women and when diagnosed at an early stage is curable. We wanted to spread awareness of this very message. Zoya, an influential ‘woman’ and a skilled communicator, is not only an admired film director but is also a friend of the cause. She has beautifully brought out not only the message, but captured a myriad of emotions from normally contained superstars though this PSA.”

     

    On the public awareness campaign, Zoya Akhtar said: “Yes breast cancer afflicts women, but it’s not something I see as women’s issue. Cancer affects more than the patient, it affects every family member and loved one. It has no gender and therefore we need to take the message out to not just women but men as well. We need to open up dialogue and make it relevant and all right for men to ask the women in their lives if they have been checked recently.”

     

    The campaign will be on-air in the coming few days.

    Link: www.ebcc.in/film